MACARTHUR NOTEBOOK/Week 4

— Compiled by Steve Sinderson



    The real season

    MacArthur High School head coach Ernie Manning has always referred to the first three weeks of the schedule as “preseason.” Since the first season, Manning and his staff have approached the nondistrict games as an opportunity to fine tune for the real portion of the season: district. What ever comes along with those first three weeks is, well, gravy.

    This year, the Highlanders are swimming in gravy. First it was a road win which took the Highlanders 250 miles from home. Week Two it was a thoroughly convincing win over Lawton High. Last week it was a last-second win over Eisenhower, giving the Boys on the Hill their first city title since 2003 and only their seventh since the school opened its doors in 1968.

    You’d think a 3-0 start, and occupying the No. 4 spot in the latest Associated Press rankings would help alleviate some of that pressure Manning and his staff puts on themselves heading in district. You’d think wrong.

    “We have pinpointed several areas where we want to improve upon,” said Mac, whose squad gets a breather this week, opening District 5A-1 action on the road against Oklahoma City Northwest Classen. “We take care of that during practice. You don’t wait until Friday to get improvement. These areas which discussed Monday with the team, I want them working on during practice and getting better and at the same time do all the normal things, getting better at that too.”

    Those three areas are: eliminate penalties, prevent the big play and keep their heads in the game at all times.

    Penalties has been a big problem for Mac in its first three games. The Highlanders have ben flagged 32 times for 262 yards. If that’s not leading the state it’s close.

    “We want to eliminate all these penalties because they’re going to come back haunt,” Manning said. “If we don’t, they may cost us a key district game.

    “We also want to prevent the big play. Our defense could be really good if we eliminate our opposition from coming up with the that big play.

    “We also want to keep our heads in the ball game in every situation. We’ve been having to come out and holler at guys to get on certain phases of the kicking game. I don’t like doing that. I want their heads in the ball games at all times. If they’re part of the kicking game I want them out there when they’re supposed to be out there.”

    Injury update

    The Highlanders received a big blow earlier in the week when they found out that lineman Nathan Woods would be lost for the season. Woods, a 190-pound junior, injured a knee the second week and will undergo surgery in the coming days.

    Michael Wolfe, another lineman, is also sidelined. Wolfe, who also has a knee injury, will miss this week’s game against the Knights, but is trying to get back for the Chickasha match up in two weeks.

    The Highlanders will also be without defensive back/wide receiver Neicko Williams. Williams, who leads the team in interceptions with three, did not play last week because of Manning termed “disciplinary” reasons. His return to the team is up in the air.”